English Dub Review: My First Girlfriend Is a Gal “My First Spray-On Gal”

Now it is time to ask the uncomfortable question this episode, is sexual assault in a perverted anime still funny?

Spoilers Below

My First Girlfriend is a Gal has not shied away from the blatant sexual pandering for an instant. When you boot up the first episode you know from the first few seconds what this show is all about. It’s about the awkward teenage drama of a teenage pervert and his first girlfriend which is complicated by many other big titted love interests. Now as a concept that is completely solid, a comedy of awkward perverted love with levity from the sweet romance the show can also provide. But especially with the subject matter in today’s episode can the perversion be taken too far? And if it can, is there a way to turn that into a thematic strength for the show?

Well that question is set up in today’s episode as we focus in on the next in Junichi’s harem, Ranko Honjo, Yukana’s busty childhood friend. Junichi has a run in with Ranko when she tricks him with a fake love letter to him, getting him behind the school alone where she proceeds to tease him sexually. That is until Yukana walks in on the two and laughs at apparently Ranko being Ranko. However, as the episode progresses Junichi sees that his next harem girl not only despises him being with Yukana to the very pit of her being but she is so possessive and determined to destroy Junichi’s relationship with Yukana that she will forcibly fuck him to steal his virginity.

This really is the crux of the entire episode. Sure, there are really awkward perverted bits like how Junichi’s fat loli-con loving friend keeps making plans to advance on grade schoolers but this is on a different level. We have all seen the anime trope of the girl forcing herself on the guy because they love them so much. But now with this episode having Ranko systematically plan on how to destroy Junichi’s relationship by forcing herself on him it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Non-consensual sex is not okay, towards a woman or a man, the act of forcing yourself onto someone against their wishes is wrong. So how is it that in these perverted animes that the girl sexually abusing the guy can be seen as funny or titillating but if you switched it around it be seen as what it is, assault.

It could be argued that I am thinking too in-depth on a show that literally has a teenage girl with a design of basketball size boobs and a body of a grade school girl. But then again, My Girlfriend Is a Gal tries playing the emotional moment here, with Ranko confessing to Junichi her love for Yukana and her drive to be her one and only had driven her to try and steal his virginity. That is not just a quirky slice of life comedy but a more character driven flaw that could be expanded on to redeem herself. The show may still be well enough to do that but thanks to My Girlfriend is a Gal contextualizing the events under the major pervert light of Junichi and the pervert brigade we have just ended up glossing over each girl so far. Even the titular Gal herself.

Bottom line, the show’s use of sexual assault can leave a bad taste in your mouth depending on your social standing of the issue when it comes to assault in media. While I am not saying, it is damaging to victims out there, I do find that it leaves the show confused on what it wants to be. Is it more a comedy where you don’t need to ask these questions? Or a romance where the characters’ romantic motivations are the backbone of the story? Moving forward I truly hope the show focuses less on Junichi’s pervert antics and fleshes out how he can act and react to the girls because the girlfriends in this show are the saving grace.

SCORE
6/10